ِرَكْنُمْلا ِنَع َنْوَهْنَتَو ِفْوُرْعَمْلاِب َنْوُرُم ْأَت ِساَّنلِل ْتَجِرْخُا ٍة َّمُا َرْيَخ ْمُتْنُك َنْوُنِمْؤُمْلا ُمُهْنِم ۗ ْمُهَّل اًرْيَخ َناَكَل ِبٰتِكْللا ُلْهَا َنَمٰا ْوَلَو ۗ ِهّٰ�لاِب َنْوُنِمْؤُتَو
َنْوُقِسٰفْلا ُمُهُرَثْكَاَو
Meaning: You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin al-ma’rūf and forbid al-munkar, and you believe in Allah.
And had the people of the scripture believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are al-fāsiqūn.”
Some references say that Maulana Ilyas as if given a reference by Allah through his dream. In his dream, he has reminded the importance to implement that verse. This verse as if giving inspiration to Maulana Ilyas, solve the moral problem that is quite severe in society is through da’wah directly to society. Directly to the target group, meet directly with people who do not practice and implement Islamic teaching correctly. Inviting them to tawḥīd. Inviting them to pray together in the mosque and conduct Islamic Syariah totally. This da’wah activity is called as khuruj. The word khuruj seems to be taken from the word ukhrijat li al-nās, as mentioned in the verse above.
One of the interpretations of Jamaáh Tabligh about this verse as Abā Darda’s said the Prophet has said: “You must invite people to the kindness and forbid them from the crime. If not, Allah will give you a tyrannical king, who does not respect your parents and will not show mercy to your children. If your pious people pray, their prayers will not be accepted. If you ask Allah help, Allah will not accept it. If you ask Allah for forgiveness, Allah will not forgive you.128
Shodruddin Ámir al-Anshary in his book explained that naṣ or argumentation about the obligation of khuruj is not only in Quran 3:
110 as stated above. Actually, there are other verses to be reference namely, 9: 39, 41, 122; 32: 43. While prophet ḥadīth that is used as the khuruj argumentation as explained in the book above, ḥadīth narrated
128 Maulana Ashiq Elahi, Enam Prinsip Tabligh, 1
by Moslem says, whoever takes the path to study, Allah makes it easy for him to go to heaven. Another ḥadīth says whoever leave out (kharaja) for studying, so he is on the path of Allah until he comes back. This ḥadīth is narrated by al-Tirmīdhī and this ḥadīth is classified as ḥasan quality.129
For JT, the meaning of Allah verses above is in order that we are willing to empty ourselves from our daily business, in several times, to practice and to struggle running our life based on Sunnah Rasūlullāh and inviting other people to practice and struggle. It is fully realized that it is difficult for a human to spare their time for da’wah. Free ourselves from the human business is very difficult. Nevertheless, at least people can provide their time some months in a year without difficulty, or view days in a month as we spare our time for recreating or enjoying. Of course, this established time is utilized for worshiping, cleaning the soul and inviting other people to clean their soul. For strictly, khuruj is basically a jihād in the path of Allah.130
Da’wah that is done by JT, go directly to society, deliver ta’līm (teaching) bayān (explanation) and inviting them to come back to Islamic life are the effort to realize an ideal order of Islamic society.
Similarly, with Islamic society in Rasūlullāh’s era. To realize all of them, it needs collective ‘amaliyyah and continuous ijtimā‘iyyah efforts, measurable and planned. Of course, the effort to realize the ideal society cannot be done personally.
As mentioned before, JT idealizes the form of Moslem life like Islamic first order. That is the life of the Prophet together with his companions and tabiín life with Prophet’s companions. This is in accordance with Prophet ḥadīth reads, the best man is my generation (Prophet and his companions), then after them (tābi‘īn), then after them (tābi‘ al-tābi‘īn). This ḥadīth is narrated by Bukhārī Muslim. To ensure the life is in accordance with Rasul’s life norm, the effort that has to be done is to campaign da’wah spirit. Of course, da’wah does not mean da’wah in the narrow definition, lecture or speech. Da’wah is to invite Moslem people to live their life like Rasul’s companions.
129 Shodruddin Ámir al-Anshary, Syaikh Mohammad Ilyas dan Da’wah Keagamaannya (Lahore Pakistan:
Zakariyya, n.d.), 63.
From Jama’ah Tabligh perspective, there are two working heritage in this world. First, what they call as working nubuwwah, namely the effort to bring in qudrat Allah. To do this work, it needs noble characters, i.e patience, tawāḍu‘, tawakkal, qanā‘ah and istiqāmah.
Work of nubuwwah is work to invite obedience to the command of Allah and apostle of Allah. The working characters of nubuwwah are, come to people without being invited, give the real example and not only talking. Do not expect a fee for their sacrifice. In the end, the work of nubuwwah will realize better social life order. Second, different from the first, the second work is work of ḥukūmah. Working for our own benefit. The characters are inviting people to others, not to Allah. Encourage people always to get the benefit of the world, property, designation, position etc. For Jama’ah Tabligh, world life is basically the framework of nubuwwah. Its success indicator is more people are willing to be involved in da’wah for realizing Islamic society life as Islam first order.
According to Jama’ah Tabligh, da’wah has to be kept and the way is by conducting three things. First, realize da’wah effort by dispatching as much as jama’ah to the path of Allah. Second, maintain the effort of da’wah, by the way, always keep relation with jamaah and the headquarter of da’wah itself. Third, improving da’wah effort by sacrificing.
There are four forms of sacrifice meant by Jama’ah Tabligh. First, conducting khuruj or out on the path of Allah (khurūj fī sabīlillāh) at least 3 days in every month, 40 days in a year and 4 months in the lifetime in order that the faith is still preserved. Second, increasing the sacrifice by giving the time for ṣilāturraḥīm from two and half hours to eight hours in every day. Third, increasing the patience and sacrificing the feeling. If there is soul disintegration among da’wah worker, keep involving in ijtimā‘ī practice. Fourth, suspend world interest for hereafter interest by practicing simple life model (zuhūd), provide food, drink, clothes, housing, vehicle and marriage.131
131 An-Nadhr Muhammad Ishaq Shahab, Khuruj Fii Sabilillah: Sarana Tarbiyah Umat Untuk Membentuk Sifat Imaniyyah, 40.
Therefore, khuruj from Jama’ah Tabligh’s perspective has to be read in the framework of nubuwwah or work of da’wah. Once more, the da’wah in the JT perspective is the transformation process from a less responsible Moslem to be a more responsible one. The ideal of an Islamic life is life during Rasūlullāh era.